New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes discussed his future with the franchise in the midst of a failed season for the ballclub.
With a 40-54 record, the Mets are among the worst teams in MLB this season, and the odds of making the playoffs are basically zero at this point, as the team is 15 GB of the National League East division lead, and 12 GB of the third and final NL Wild Card spot.
Despite the Mets being terrible this season, Holmes — one of the team’s few bright spots during what has otherwise been an awful year — said that he is open to signing a contract extension with the team.
Clay Holmes Open to Contract Extension With Mets
Speaking to The Athletic, Holmes — who has a player option for $12 million for next season — said that he is willing to re-sign with the team on a contract extension.
“Definitely open (to an extension). I know things are not the easiest right now and hard (for the team), but it’s not like I’m sitting here hoping to run away from it. If I can be part of the solution to make things better here, I would like that,” Holmes said.
Holmes made $13 million last season for the Mets and an identical salary this year for New York. He has rewarded the team with 42 starts and a 3.26 ERA with 4.0 bWAR through his first two seasons in New York.
He is currently rehabbing from a fractured fibula, but is hopeful to return by the end of the summer for the stretch run this season.
Could the Mets Trade Clay Holmes?
Though Holmes is open to coming back to New York next year and beyond, the Mets could consider trading him at the trade deadline, as they may be able to get a prospect or two in return for his services, as a contender might feel he could upgrade their rotation heading into the postseason.
Holmes is partly in control of his future, of course, since he has a player option for next season. That means he can exercise it for $12 million, or he could decline it and sign a long-term contract instead, either with the Mets or another team.
Given how poorly the Mets have fared this season, there is really no reason to think they are going to turn things around next year, so Holmes would likely be better off moving on if he truly wants to win a World Series.
But if he likes New York as much as he said he does, then perhaps he will be okay with sticking around with the team going forward. The Mets would likely be happy to have him back since he has been a very good pitcher for them when healthy. Again, though, since he has a player option on his deal for next season, it somewhat complicates things, since he will partially be able to dictate what he wants to do since the threat of turning down his option is a very real one.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Clay Holmes Discusses Future With Mets appeared first on HEAVY.